Apparatus and method for packaging paper



2 1927. Feb 2 w. c. LUDWIG APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PACKAGING PAPER Filed Jan. 6, 1925 atent ed Feb. 22, 1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

- WILLIAM C. LUDWIG, E GHILLICOTHE, OHIO ASSIGNOR TO THE MEAD PULP & PAPER COM?ANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

Application filed January 26, 1925. Serial No. 4,899.

The present invention relates to the packaging and transporting of paper and particularly to the packa in and transporting of sheet aper-adapte to e piled or formed into stac s.

One of the/principal objects of the present invention is to provide a novel method and apparatus for packaging and transporting sheet paper, which eliminates the damage normally occurring durin shipment and also makes for easier hand ing.

Another object is to previde such a method which involves the principle of maintaimng a hea external pressure upon the'stack of paper uring transportation in order to prevent movement of the sheets of paper with respect to one another. v

Further objects ofthe present invention will be apparent from the following description when takien' in connlection with the accom an raw ,w erem:

' Fig. 1 is perspe difse View of a stack of paper packaged accordin to the present invention and ready for s ipment;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the skid platform constituting the lower compression member, the section being taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a fra mentary perspective'view of a portion of t e skid platform with the paper removed.

This invention is an improvement on the invention disclosed in my prior application entitled Apparatus and method for packaging paper, Serial No. 735,894, filed September 4, 1924;

Referring to the drawings, 20 denotes the sheet pa r to .be transported, the sheets of aper in preferably disposed horizonta y and piled .or formed into a stack. In contact with the upper and lower surfaces of the stack are upper and lower com ression plates or members 21 and 22 respectively of substantially rigid and preferably'non-y1elding construction. The n per compression plate may be constructe of 'any suitable material such as boards extending lengthwise thereof, and includes transversely dis peosed channel iron bars or reinforcing mem-. rs 23 which lie against the upper surface of the boards and are .bolted or secured thereto in' any suitable manner.

The upper and lower compression plates '21 and 22 are connected to other by means of clamping bolts or tie r 24: which pass pounds, andin order to relieve the bale of through suitable apertures 25 in the lower compression plate and in the channel iron reinforcing member 23 of the upper compression plate 21. Thetie rods 24 are provided with screw threaded nuts or other to suitable fastening means whereby the com pression plates 21 and 22 may be drawn together to exert any desired external pressure uponthe stackof paper and to maintain such ressure upon the paper while the latter is ei'ng transported or as long as may be desired. By placing the'paper under compression the friction between the sheets of paper maybe increased to such an extent as to substantially prevent all slipping or movement of the sheets of paper with respect to one another and to their supporting structure. The stack of sheet pawl and its supporting structure constitutes, in efiept, a bale, and this bale is the-shipping, uni

For the purpose of the more convenientl handling the bale or package of paper whi may be of a sizeweighing several thousand paper from racking or other strains tending the cause shiftin of the paper, as 'far as this may he poss1 lo, the lower compression plate 22 is conveniently constructed in the form of a skid platform, the compression plate or. top portion 22 thereof being spaced such a distance from the ground as to receive thereunder an elevating truck by which the bale of paper may be transported from place to place in its normal upright position.

v The skidv platform is of sturdy construction and consists of a pairof-longitudinal-ly disposed spaced apart angle iron'strips .30 WhlCh receive and support the ends of the short-lengths of boards 31. The upper surface of the boards 31 are rabbeted to receive binding strips 32, the angle iron strips, binding strips, and boards being rigidly secured together by means of bolts 33 or other suit- 100 able fastening means. Each angle iron strip 30 and its binding strip 32 constitutes what is hereinafter sometimesrcferred to as the side rail of the skid platform. The skid platform is provided with le s 34 of sheet 105 metal construction, each leg swing a foot portion-35 and upwardlyextending leg portions 36, the upper ends of said leg portions extendin along the angle iron stri s or side rails an 1 being rigidly secured t ereto as no skid.

In preparing the paper for shipment it is stacked upon the skid to the desiredheight and preferably enwrapped in a suitable protective covering, as for example thin flexible water proof paper 37, although it will be understood that the use of such'protective covering may be dispensed with if desired. The, upper compression late 21 and tie rods 24 are ut in place and the latter are then adjusted so as to place the paper .under heavy compression as already described, s as to form what is herein termed as a bale of paper. 'A closel -enclosing confinm stru cture is then bui t up upon the plat orm in order to protect the paper, and particularly to protect the corners or sides thereof from damage during shipment. The confining.

structure may consist of upright confining boards or strips 38 lying against the side of the stack of paper, and similar confining strips 39 1 ing against the ends of the stack adjacent t e corners thereof and secured to the confining strips 38. The confining strips 38 and 39-may be secured to the compression members 21 and 22 as by nailing or otherwise, and the confining strips at the corners of the stack are then secured together by means of suitable strap iron strips 40 as illustrated in the drawings. The end confining stri s 39 preferably lie against the end edges 0 the skid platform or lower compression plate 22 the purpose of this being to permit the packages or bales of paper to be packed in solid in a freight car the confinmg strips 39 of one bale being in contact with the corresponding confinin stri s of the next adjacent 'bale where y t e bales are in contact with oneanother and with the end walls of the freight car over the entire height of the bale thus effectively reinforcin the bale and contributin to prevent any s ifting of the paper whic would be ruinous to its quality.

. From the foregoing-it will be apparent that the resent invention provides means whereby t e paper may be readily handled for shipment or store e, the skids permitting the placing of an e evating truck under neath the skid platform or lower compression plate 22 either for loading into a freight car or for unloading therefrom. The stack or ship ings'unit is thus maintained in its original horizontal position as it is moved -from place to place and is not sub'ect to racking strains as is the ordinary an wellknown packing box which is usually raised upon one edge or tilted in order to receive a truck thereunder. Also this permits of.

greatly increasing the quantity of paper that may be included in a single package. An important advantageof this construction is that a number of stacks, bales or shipping units maybe readily placed in position in a freight car with their ends abutting against one anotheruand against the end of the car so that thestacks support one another thereby to a large-extent relieving the stacks of paper from the shocks arising during starting and stopping and moving of the train.

By placing each stack of paper under suit ably heavy compression alone, or by placing it under a lesser compression and abutting the ends of .a number of stacks as described above, it is possible to so package sheet paper that the. stack will malntain its original shape and condition notwithstanding the severe shocks and rough treatment of the paper during shipment. This is an important advantage particularly in the shipment of high-grade paper inasmuch as shifting of the paper would irreparabl damage it.

Another advantage .resi es ir the saving in the cost of the package for the paper. As

much paper may be easily handled in one package of the character herein disclosed as is ordinarily included in a considerable num-[ ber of crates of the heretofore conventional character. Consequently the quantity of lumber required is comparatively small, and the single package is considerably lighter in weight for any given weight of paper than in the usual form of acking cases. This re-. sults in a savin in reight charges and also makes it possib e to load a greater quantity of paper within a given space in a freight car.

Another advantage is the saving in the handling of the paper, particularly in unpacking. Heretofore it has been customary to'construct a solid packing box of the required size, to place the sheet paper therein a little at a time and finally to nail the cover thereon. Also the packing box had to be of the exact size ofthe aper in order to pre vent undue damage uring shipment. Ac cording to the present invention the paper is piled upon the platform and since the platform is out in the open this maybe done qliliickly and without damaging the edges of t e sheets of paper. The stack being formed to the proper slzeand then covered by the protective covering), the binding and confinmg structure may. e uickly and easily built up about the stack 0% paper as already de scribed. When the pa er reaches its destination it may be unpac ed by simply removing the confining and binding structure which leaves the stack. of aper upon the platform completely exposed and ready for use. As heretofore practiced considerable damage to the paper almost invariably occurre durin unpacking of paper from crate boxes. t is not necessary at this stage to unpack. the paper a little at a time as in the case of the ordinary packing box. Where it is desirable to season the paper prior to its use on the press, as .is the case of high grade paper, the paper need not be transferred from the platform to a truck, as heretofore, but may be left on the platform and placed instorage for the length of time required for proper seasoning of the paper, and then withdrawn from storage as re uired.

rom. the foregoing it will be evident that the present apparatus and method of packaging and shipping paper effects a great saving in wastage due to the fact that there is less handling of the. paper than heretofore, and this'is an item of considerable importance in the case of high grade expensive sheet paper.

A still further advantage resides in the fact that much material and expense may be saved by the reuse of the skid platforms,

top compression plates, and the tie. rods.

After the paper is removed from the skid platform, the latter, together with the' tie ,rods and the top compression plate 21 may 'be readily returned in compact form to the shipper.

While the form of apparatus herein described constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be'understood that the invention is not limited to this precise form of apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

What' is claimed is:

. 1, In a paratus of the character described adapted or packaging and transporting .a stack of sheet paper, a. top compression plate,fla bottom compression plate, and tie rods connecting said compression plates and adapted to be operated to bind the sheets of paper immovably together under heavy compression to *prevent surface slippage thereof, said bottom compression plate constituting a skid for supporting the stack of paper spaced from the ground and comprising spacedapart side rails, means connecting Sfligd. side rails and forming therewith a top for the skid, supporting legs secured to said side rails, and tie rod apertures through said side rails for receiving therein the lower ends of said tie rods.

2. In apparatus of the character described adapted for packaging and transporting a stack of sheet paper, a top compression plate,

a bottom compression plate, .and tie rods connectingsaid compression plates and adapted to be operated to bind the sheets of paper immovably together under heavy compression to prevent surface slippage thereof, said bottom compression plate constituting a skid for supportin the stack of paper spaced'from the ground and compris- 3; In apparatus .havingfoot portions and upwardly extending leg portions secured at their upper ends to the side rails, and tie rod apertures through said side rails for receiving therein the lower ends of said tie rods, said apertures' being disposed intermediate the upwardly extending portions of said supporting legs.

of the character described adapted for packaging and transporting a'stack of sheet paper, a top compression plate, a bottom compression plate, and tie adapted to be operated to bind the sheets of paper immova ly together under heavy compression to prevent surface slippage thereof, said bottom compression plate constituting a skid for supporting the-stack of paper spaced from the ground and comprising spaced apart side rails, means connecting said slde rails and forming therewith a top for the skid, U-shaped supporting legs' plate, a bottom compression plate, and tie rods connecting said compression plates and adapted to be operated to bind the sheets of irods connecting said compression plates and paper immovably together under heavy compression to prevent surface slippage thereof, said bottom compression plate constitutmg a skid for supporting the stack of paper spaced from the ground and comprising longitudinally disposed spaced apart angle iron strips, short lengths of boards arranged laterally upon said angle iro-n strip-s, binding strips overlying. the ends of said boards, means for rigidly securing said strips and boards together, and supporting legs for the skid having foot portions and upwardly extending leg portions secured at their upper ends to the slde rails. Y

5. Ina paratus of the character described ada ted or packaging and transporting a st-ac of sheet paper, a top compression plate, a bottom compression plate, and tie rods connecting said compression plates and adaptedto be 0 ated-to bind the sheets of paper immova ly together under heavy compression to prevent surface slippage thereof, said bottom compression plate constituting a skid for supporting the stack of paper spaced from the ground and comprising longitudinally disposed spaced apart angle iron strips, short lengths of boards arranged laterally upon said angle iron stri binding strips overlying the ends of sai boards, means for rigidly securin said strips and boards together, U-sha ed supporting legs for the skid having t ortions and upwardly extending leg portions of sheet metal disposed lengthwise of the rails and rigidly secured thereto, and tie rod apertures through said side rails for receiving therein the lower ends of said tie rods, said apertures being disposed intermediate the upwardly extending portions of.

said supporting legs.

6. In a paratus of the character described ada ted or packaging and transporting a stac of sheet paper, a top compression plate, a bottom compression plate, and tie rods connecting said compression plates and adapted to be operated to bind the sheets of paper immova ly together under heavy thereof, said bottom compression plate constituting a skid for supporting the stack of paper spaced from the ground and comprising spaced apart side rails, means connecting said side rails and forming therewith a top for the skid, supporting legs secured to said side rails, upright confining and protectin strips closely confining the corners of t e stack of paper, and a flexible binding strip encircling the stack and upright confining strips to bind the same together.

In testimony whereof I hereto ailix my signature.

WILLIAM C. LUDWIG.

compression to prevent surface slippage 

